Device for disinfecting telephones.



No. 743,353. PATENTED Nov. 3, 1933.

N. J. TUBES.

lDEVICE FO-R DISINFBCTING TELEPHONES. A

. APPLIOATION FILED um.. 1a, 1903. No MODEL. V2 slums-SHEET 1.

'i Q INH No. 743,353. A PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

` N. J. TUBBS. f

DEVICE EOE VDISINEEETINE. TELEPHONES.

APPLIOATION FILED ma. 1s. 1903.

4No IoDEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

NELSON J. TUBBS, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO R. HARRY SMITH AND ISAAC S. HARTLEY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

DEVICE FOR DISINFECTING TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION :formingpart of Letters iatent No. 743,353, dated November 3, 1903. Application tiled March 18, 1903. Serial No. 148.388.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Beit known thatI, NELSON J. TUBES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisville,in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a Device for Disinfecting Telephones, set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to telephones, and is more especially an improvement in disinfecting devices for the receiver and transmitter of such sound-conveying instruments.

It is a well-known fact that certain forms,

of disease, as diphtheria, smallpox, consumption, and kindred diseases, are due to the introduction into the human body of germs or micro-organisms, as bacteria, and their subsequent multiplication Vand that the at` mosphere may become contaminated or infected with such disease germs from theV breath of a diseased person, resulting in the spread of disease.

danger of contamination by reason of its coming into contact with the ear of every one` using the telephone.

It is the object of my invention, therefore, ,l to provide a means entirely automatic in opand nauseous smell which one finds associated with public telephones.

With the above objects, in view my invention consists in the employment of means for applying heat directly to the receiver and transmitter of a telephone for exterminating It is obvious, therefore, y that the general use of telephones, and especially public telephones, provides a me- 5 dium by which contagious and infectious disl eases may be readily communicated from a. diseased person using a telephone to othersi who may subsequently use it, for it has been found that the mouthpieces of telephonetransmitters form excellent repositories for; many specific forms of micro-organisms and; that the earpiece or receiver is fraught with' `transmitter of a telephone for the purpose specified, together with devices for automatically lighting said heating means by the sam-e movement that cuts out the local receiver and transmitter and restores the bell-coils to the main-line circuit, together with a thermostatic device for automatically extinguishing said heating means.

The invention further consists in the particular construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter fully described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, Figure lis a front elevation showing the application of my invention to a telephone of the type commonly known as desk-telephones. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, enlarged, through the casing which contains theV heating device and means for lighting and extinguishing the same. Fig.

4 is a side elevation of said casing, showing "the means for operatingthe main shaft of the lighting and extinguishing devices through the medium of the hook that supports the receiver of the telephone. Fig. 5 is a detail view.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

It will of course be understood that I have merely shown the invention in connection with a desk-telephone as an instance of its use and that therefore the invention is not limited to its application to this type of telephone. v

Referring to the drawings,A designates the standard of the telephone, a, the transmitter hinged to the upper end of said standard, a the pivoted 'supporting-hook, and a2 the receiver or ear-trumpet, which parts are of the usual construction.

In carrying out my invention and for the purpose of directing currents of hot air or other fluid capable of exterminafng microorganisms into and upon such parts of the transmitter as are likely to receive such micro-organisms the said transmitter is provided With a chamber b, surrounding the mouthpiece and formed by a covering-plate B, preferably mica,which is held in place by screws. This annular chamber b communicates with the mouthpiece through apertures b', which latter permit the hot air or fluid to pass out through the mouthpiece and purify the inner surface thereof. At the lower end of the covering-plate B is an elongated socket 192 in which plays a ball c on the upper end of a tube C, through which the hot air or fiuid is conveyed from the heating device, said balland-socketcon nection permitting oftheusual adjustments of the transmitter.

The ear-trumpet or receiver d2 is ofthe usual construction, no change being required in the same, inasmuch as when placed upon the hook the outer end or earpiece is located directly overa heat-radiating surface, hereinafter described.

D designates a casing which supports the heating device and operating means therefor, the said casing being attached to the base of the standard A, and to the upper end of the former is pivotally connected the tube C, leading to the transmitter, while at the rear end thereof is connected a circular drum D', having a mica cover disposed to be directly under the ear-trumpet a2 when the latter is suspended from the hook et.

In the present instance gas is employed as the medium for generating heat to disinfect the telephone, and, as shown in the drawings,

-a cock or burner E is located in the casing D and provided with an extended nipple e for connecting a supply-pipe thereto. The plug of the cock or burner, which may be an integral part of the nipple, has secured thereto levers or arms e and e2, projecting in opposite directions and forming the means by Which said plug is operated. The lever or tappet-arm c' is operated by a tappet-wheel f, located on the outer end of a main shaft F, having bearings in the sides of the casing, said shaft being operated by a ratchet-wheel f on its other end, with which ratchet-wheel engages a spring-actuated pawl g, carried at one end of a centrally-pivoted lever G. To the other end of this lever is connected a rod g', connected to and extending from the hook 'a' of the telephone, the parts being so adjusted that when the receiver is placed on said hook the ratchet-wheel will be moved to turn the plug, through the intervention of the tappet-wheel and arm, and bring the aperture in the plug to register with the aperture `in the burner,`turning on the supply of gas.

In order to provide for lighting the burner simultaneously with the operation of turning on the gas, a second tappeti-wheel H is mounted on the main shaft-within the casing and provided with peripheral teeth h for feeding a strip I of percussion-caps over an anvil e3, formed on the burner, and to strike ofr` these caps at the proper time a spring-metal bar I projects over the anvil and has a point 1l, adapted to strike upon said anvil, the said spring-metal bar being extended across the face of the tappet-wheel H, so that it will be raised by thetappets t thereof.

It will be here understood that instead of providing a percussion-tape any other form of liglting device may be used-for instance, an ordinary electric sparker; also, that any other form of heating device may be provided where it is not convenient to employ gas.

In order to provide for automatically shutting off the gas after it has burned for a predetermined length of time, I provide a thermostatic device,which in the present instance consists of a cylinder J, having a pistonj working therein and operated by a body of mercury, (indicated by the letter 3,) the said piston being connected to the intermediate portion of a lever M, which is pivoted at one end to the casing and connected at its other end by rod m to the lever or arm e2, projecting from the burner. The expansion of the mercury by the heat of the burner will operate the piston to shut off the cock, and the adjustment of this thermostatic device with regard to location, &c., may be such as to determine the length of time the gas shall burn.

It is intended that the mechanism hereinbefore described shall be operated automatically by the movement of the hook a' in the operation of the telephone. For instance, when the hook is removed the rod g will be lifted, shifting the lever G, so that the pawl g carried thereby will be moved into engagement with the next tooth of the ratchet-wheel f', and after the telephone has been used and the receiver replaced on the hook the downward movement of the latter, through its connection with the ratchet-wheelf,wi1l turn said ratchet-wheel the distance of one tooth, and this movement being communicated to the shaft will turn the same sufficiently to operate the tappet-wheelf to turn on the supply of gas and also the tappet-wheel H to feed a fresh percussion-cap onto the anvil and operate the spring-metal bar to explode said-cap, whereby the gas is lighted. The heat from the flame goes up the tube C, so as to disinfect the transmitter, and a supply passes into the drum D to disinfect the receiver or ear-trumpet located directly above the same, a current of hot air being induced into the drum by providing the vent-opening u at the outer end of said drum. It will be found that the heat from the fiame will be sufficient to destroy or exterminate any micro-organisms that may have been transmitted to the parts of the telephone by the party previously using the same and that the gas need burn only a minute or two. When the IOC IIO

heat has reached a certain degree, the thermostatic device will operate to automatically cut off the supply of gas toy the burner, and consequently extinguish the flame. The heat supplied to the'receiver and transmitter of the telephone will not only thoroughly disinfect these parts, but Will also purify them of any noxious odor.

It Will be understood that the transmitter and receiver of the telephone are thoroughly disinfected immediately after it is used by each person and that the disinfecting operation takes place immediately after the receiver or ear-trumpet is placed on the hook. It Will also be noted that the application of the devices hereinbefore described does not in any Way interfere with the ordinary use of the telephone and needs no attention Whatever, being entirely automatic in operation.

If necessary, such parts of the transmitter and also the receiver which arein direct contact with the heated air or vapor and liable to injury thereby may be provided With an asbestos lining. v

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for disinfecting telephones, comprising a heating device and conduits leading therefrom to the receiver and transmitter of the telephone, together with means for lighting and extinguishing the heating device and operated automatically by a movable part of the telephone.

2. An apparatus fordisinfecting telephones, comprising a heating device, a chamber around the transmitter, a tube leading from the heating device to said chamber, and means for lighting and extinguishing the heating device and operated automatically.

3. An apparatus for disinfecting telephones, comprising a heating device for supplying heat to the receiver and transmitter, means for lighting said heating device, and a thermostatic device for automatically Vextinguishing the heating device. v

4. An apparatus for disinfecting telephones, comprising a heating device for supplying heat to the receiver and transmitter, means for lighting said heating device operated from a movable part of the telephone, and a thermostatic device for automatically extinguish ing the heating device.

5. An apparatus for disin fecting telephones, comprising a heating device and conduits leading therefrom to the receiver and transmitter, means for automatically lighting said heating device operated from a movable part of the telephone, and a thermostatic device for automatically extinguishing the heating device.

6. An apparatus for disinfecting telephones, comprising a heating device and conduits leading therefrom to the receiver Aand transmitter, means for automatically lighting said heating device and operated by a movable part of the telephone, and a thermostatic device for automatically extinguishing the heating device consisting of a cylinder containing mercury and a piston the latter being counected to the aforesaid heating device.

7. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones, the combination, of a heating device inclosed within a casing, a chamber around the mouth of the transmitter, a tube connecting said chamber with the heating device or casing, and a drum also connected to the casing and disposed under the suspended eartrumpet.

8. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones, the combination, of a heating device inclosed 4in a casing, a chamber around the mouth of the transmitter connected to said casing, and a drum also connected to the casing and disposed under the ear-trumpet; together with means for automatically operating the heating device.

9. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones,aonsinghavingconduitsleadingtherefrom to the receiver and transmitter of the telephone, a burner or cock located in said casing, means for operating said burner or cock, and a sparking device located adjacent the burner and operated simultaneously therewith.

10. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones, a burner or heating device, a sparking device located adjacent thereto, and means for operating said devices automatically upon the movement of the hook in removing the eartrumpet therefrom and replacingit thereon.

1l. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones, the combination, of a burner or heating device, a sparking device located adjacent thereto, a shaft having tappet-Wheels adapted to operate the burner and sparking device, and means for operating said shaft from the hook of the telephone.

12. In an apparatusfor disinfecting telephones, the combination, of a burner or heating device, a sparking device located adjacent thereto, a shaft having tappet-wheels adapted to operate the burner and sparking device,and ratchet-and-pawl mechanism actuated by the hook which supports the receiver of the telephone.

13. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones, the combination, of a burner or heating device, a sparking device located adjacent thereto, ashaft having tappet-Wheels adapted to operate the burner and sparking device, and ratchet-and-pawl mechanism connected by rod to the hook which supports the receiver of the telephone; together With conduits leading from the burner or heating device to the transmitter and receiver.

14n. In an apparatus for disinfecting telephones, the combination, of a burner, a sparking device located adjacent thereto, a shaft having tappet-wheels adapted to operate the ICO IIS

burner and sparking device, a, ratchet-whee1 to this specification in the presence of two subon the shaft, and a pawl operated by the hook scribing Witnesses.

which supports lthe receiver of the telephone' T together with a thermostatic device connect', l b ELSON J' TUBES'- 5 ed to the burner and operating to automatic- Vitnesses:

ally extinguish the same. l C. M. PHILLIPS,

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature C. D. RIDLEY. 

